Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Ted Kennedy 1932-2009

In 1968 did anyone think that, the iconography of his brother John aside, Senator Ted Kennedy would have the greatest real life impact on the lives of Americans? My grandfather, a full-on southern Republican, had a "Nuclear Energy is Safer Than Ted Kennedy's Car" bumper sticker on the back of his giant sedan when i was little, but it was explained to me that that was more about my grandfather than Ted Kennedy. So many bouts of tragedy, some of his own making, but after all that it seems that his legacy will be his life in the senate. He fought the good fight, especially but not exclusively on health care, and hopefully his energy will not have been wasted on the health care struggle that's happening right now between rational / idealistic people like Sen. Kennedy and those owned by industry.

1 Comments:

Kennedy also played a significant role in the peace process here in Northern Ireland, most notably supporting the non-violent aims of John Hume and the SDLP. He was seen as an IRA sympathiser by Loyalists but shunned Sinn Fein when he felt it appropriate. Ilike what I hear of his liberal work in America.